


Onus Probandi (2005)

by JennyB



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Anal Sex, Challenge fic, Fluff and Angst, Hand Jobs, Love/Hate, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-29
Updated: 2005-03-29
Packaged: 2018-01-16 00:55:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1325689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jounouchi and Kaiba get into it over the fact that Kaiba’s an emotional reject. Kaiba convinces Jou to prove it, why would he need anybody else in his life?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: The title is Latin for _The burden of proof_.
> 
> This fic was a plot bunny challenge. Basically, people submitted prompts, written as a story summary, and this was what I chose.

It was 3 o’clock in the afternoon on Thursday, and Jounouchi was sitting in his history class waiting for the last half hour of the day to finish. They were supposed to be reading the assigned chapter and making notes, but Jou couldn’t bring himself to do the work – it was far too boring and all he wanted to do was get his evening started. Jou cast a sidelong glance at Yugi, who was sitting two rows over furiously scribbling notes in his book. ‘Great! I’ll copy what he wrote down later,’ Jou thought, glancing back to the open textbook on his desk. He absently flipped a page so his instructor would think he was actually doing the assignment, and returned to his daydreaming.

He was standing on a large deck overlooking the ocean. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, sending a shower of red, orange and gold cascading down the water and onto the sand. He could feel a presence behind him but still he continued to look out over the waves. The scent of a familiar cologne filled his nostrils and, as he inhaled deeply, his face flushed slightly and his heart quickened its pace. A smile crept over his lips as he felt a pair of strong arms slide around his waist to pull him close. Closing his eyes, Jou leaned back against the strong form holding him and he sighed contentedly. Turning to look into a pair of sparkling cobalt eyes that were only slightly obscured by the auburn locks, Jou playfully brushed the hair away from his lover’s face and said, “I’ve been waiting for you.” The brunet smiled and replied, “Sorry to have kept you waiting. Perhaps I can find some way for you to forgive me…” As his beloved pulled Jou close, time seemed to stand still as their lips drew ever nearer. Jou could feel the moist breath caressing his face, and he tilted his head upwards…

BANG! 

Jou jumped with a start out of his reverie. ‘What the hell?!’ he thought. Looking around, he saw one of his classmates turning a deep red, having knocked his textbook onto the floor. The instructor looked up from her paperwork, smiled sympathetically at the student, and then resumed her marking.

‘Shit – a perfectly good daydream interrupted. And, at the good part, too!’ he thought miserably. When Jou had first fantasized about Seto Kaiba, he had been quite alarmed; after all, the guy was probably one of the biggest assholes Jou had ever known, and he definitely showed no love for Jounouchi. However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that yes, Kaiba did indeed have some redeeming qualities – like the fact that he was damned good looking and incredibly sexy, especially in his school uniform or his dark blue trench coat, or… Jou shook his head slightly to clear his mind. 

Deep down, Jou knew the brunet was capable of emotion, even though he was arrogant and condescending to, well, almost everyone. Hell, if Kaiba would lose the attitude and keep his ego in check for five seconds, he’d certainly be a hell of a lot more likeable. Jou sighed inwardly. That was the problem. Kaiba had a huge hate on for Jounouchi. With the amount of open hostility Kaiba showed Jou, he doubted if they’d ever even be friends, let alone anything more. If only he could find some way to get through to the brunet.

Jou propped his chin on his hand as he thought about his daily encounters with Kaiba; they were pretty much a guarantee since they had three out of four classes together. And God, did Kaiba know how to irritate him. Of course, Jou would always wind up losing his temper and telling the brunet off, but he definitely didn’t hate the guy. It was simply that Jou never backed down from confrontation, and he loved a good fight. Besides, when they were bickering, all Kaiba’s attention was focused solely on Jou, and he loved it.

As Jou reflected back on today with a small frown, he wondered why this _particular_ day had seemed strangely quiet. And then it hit him – Kaiba hadn’t spoken to him at all today! He knew that the brunet was at school because he’d seen him several times; never mind the fact that they were quick peeks over at his desk when he was certain that the other wasn’t looking. This struck the blond as odd when he considered that Kaiba seemed to almost _enjoy_ making his life miserable. He wondered why the brunet had had the sudden change of heart. ‘Maybe he’s just not feeling well,’ he thought to himself as he decided to sneak one more quick peek behind him.

He gasped softly in surprise as he found a pair of cold blue eyes staring straight back at him. The intensity of the gaze was reminiscent of old horror flicks about deranged people with mind-control powers, and Jou half expected to burst into flames at any second. He glanced quickly to the front of the room to make sure the instructor was still preoccupied with her marking, then turned back towards Kaiba and mouthed the word ‘What?’

The brunet continued to stare at him, saying nothing. The tiniest smirk appeared at the corner of Kaiba’s mouth but still he remained silent, his eyes still focused solely on Jou. 

The blond could feel his temper starting to rise. He knew it wasn’t because Kaiba was _staring_ at him; it was because _Kaiba_ was staring at him, and he found it very unsettling. First of all, this was atypical Kaiba behaviour. The brunet was always more direct, more confrontational. Secondly, the smirk was irritating him to no end. What was up with that, and what did it mean? Jou fought the urge to get up and punch the bastard in the face to make him stop looking at him and instead settled for the mature subtlety of flipping Kaiba the middle finger. 

Kaiba blinked and feigned hurt as if Jou’s gesture had mortally wounded him, and with a sneer mouthed ‘Ouch’. Jou raised his eyebrows in surprise; he hadn’t been expecting that. With a snort of contempt, the brunet mouthed ‘Loser’ back to Jou.

That did it. “YOU’RE THE LOSER!” Jou shouted across the room. 

“Jounouchi!” the instructor exclaimed, causing Jou to hurriedly whirl around in his seat to face her. “Is there something you’d like to share with the class?”

Blushing a deep shade of crimson, he managed to sputter out, “Um…Sorry ‘bout that. I was just so into this chapter, it was uh, riveting…and I guess I was just, er, overcome with rage by what I had read.” There were stifled snickers from around the room.

“Oh?” the instructor replied, quirking an eyebrow in disbelief. “It’s nice to see you taking such a personal interest in history.” Jou smiled – she’d bought it! The instructor glared sternly at Jounouchi, and his face fell – maybe she hadn’t. “Perhaps you can tell me what it was about the life of Gandhi that so consumed you that you lost all self-control and were forced to disrupt the class? Or, even better,” the instructor continued, glancing up at the clock, “Why don’t you just tell me about it in a 1000 word essay, which will be due on my desk at the beginning of the period tomorrow?”

Jou’s face fell and he nodded glumly. ‘Shit, now _I’m_ gonna have to write an _essay_ tonight just because _Kaiba_ had to go and be a dick,’ he thought forlornly. As he grumbled silently to himself about yet another injustice that had been wrought upon him, he heard quiet snickering from behind him; just loud enough to get on his last nerve. He knew damned well who it was, and he could feel his blood starting to boil. Just then, the bell rang and Jounouchi leapt from his seat and spun around. “You’re such a prick, Kaiba!” Jou spat indignantly, his amber eyes burning with an unspoken anger.

Kaiba snorted, “With clever comebacks like that, I’ve obviously misjudged your mental acuity. In fact, you should have that essay done in no time. Let me know if you have any trouble using the big words like ‘and’ or ‘the’.” He arrogantly brushed past the blond, heading for the door.

Jou clenched his fists in rage. “Fuck you, Kaiba!” he yelled after the taller teen.

Kaiba paused for a brief moment as a smirk played upon his lips. “Not today, pup.” The brunet turned to go.

“Yeah, you fucking wish,” Jou called after the retreating form. When his comment failed to get a rise out of the other, Jou gritted his teeth in frustration. “Oh wait, that’s right. All you _have_ are wishes and dreams and a lifetime’s supply of hand cream to jack off with. It’s not like you have anyone waiting for you at home, eh Kaiba? No one willingly, anyway!” Jou smirked triumphantly when he saw the brunet stop and his shoulders tense. The smile quickly faded, however, when Kaiba rounded abruptly on his heel and the blond saw the malicious glint in those sapphire eyes.

“And just what makes you think I need or want someone, inu?” Kaiba hissed darkly.

“It’s part of being human, Kaiba. Everyone needs someone.” Jou narrowed his eyes as he glanced curiously at the brunet. “You _are_ human, aren’t you?”

Kaiba snorted in amusement. “So, now you’re an expert in human behaviour. Well then Professor, convince me.”

Amber eyes widened in surprise as Jou’s mouth dropped open. “Say what?”

A small smirk crept across Kaiba’s face. “I said convince me. You and the pep squad are always trying to make me a part of your little playgroup; you just insinuated, however crudely, that I need someone on a more _intimate_ level. Since you think you know what I need, then convince me of it.” The smirk widened, but Kaiba’s eyes remained cold and emotionless. “And to make it interesting, let’s make it a bet. The winner owns the loser for 24 hours.”

“Yeah, right,” Jou chuckled darkly. “Like you’d play fair. No matter what I say to you, you’re just going to disagree with me on principle. You’ll be stubborn about everything just because you’re a big, giant ass.”

“Fine then,” Kaiba nodded. “We’ll make it a legal agreement as well. I’ll have my attorneys draw up a contract outlining the terms of the deal, and we’ll sign it. Come by my office this evening around six, and we’ll finalize the details.” 

“Gee Kaiba, I’d love to and everything, but I think I’m just gonna go home and get started on this piece of crap essay. I doubt I’d have the time for that…”

The taller teen huffed in annoyance. “Fine. I will finish this for you; you can pick it up when you come by.” 

As Kaiba strode from the room, Jou furrowed his brow in confusion. The brunet was most definitely up to something if he was willing to do Jou’s homework for him. Jou’s eyes flicked over to the vacant doorway as he worried his bottom lip in thought. ‘If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is,’ he mused. With a heavy sigh, he heaved his backpack over his shoulder and trudged his way home. As a consolation, he told himself that if the contract didn’t look fair, he didn’t have to sign it – after all, Kaiba couldn’t force him against his will. Now all he had to do was believe it.

* * *

Just before six o’clock, Jou found himself standing before Kaiba’s administrative assistant. “I’m sorry,” the curmudgeonly secretary sneered in a tone that was anything but apologetic. “But your name is not in Mr. Kaiba’s appointment book. No name, no appointment!”

Jou gritted his teeth in annoyance. ‘Typical fucking Kaiba,’ he thought angrily. “Look,” he growled. “Kaiba told me to meet him here at six. If you’d just –“

She eyed the blond disdainfully. “I already told you, Mr. Kaiba is far too busy to be bothered by…riff raff such as yourself. Now if you don’t mind –“

“Enough,” a cool voice interrupted.

Kaiba’s secretary blanched at the appearance of her employer. “Mr. Kaiba, I’m so sorry,” she grovelled. “It’s just that this…person…is insisting on seeing you.” She glared over at Jou. “And despite my insistence that he needs an appointment, he simply _refuses_ to leave!” she finished shrilly.

The brunet rolled his eyes. “I’ll deal with him. Thank you.”

“But Sir!” she protested.

Kaiba glowered at her and growled dangerously, “I said I’ll deal with him.” He watched as his secretary shrank back in fear, then he turned his gaze to the blond. “Let’s go.” Turning his back to Jou, Kaiba strode down the hall towards the boardroom, Jou trotting along wordlessly behind him. When they entered the room, Kaiba nodded to the middle-aged man who was waiting for them, then seated himself at the head of the mahogany meeting table, and motioned Jou to one of the side chairs. “Alright, let’s get this started.”

“Hang on a sec, Kaiba,” Jou interjected. “First, let me see my essay. I want to make sure you did it before I agree to anything.”

The brunet smirked as he withdrew a file folder from his briefcase. Sliding it across the table, he said, “This is the essay I wrote.”

Jou quickly scanned the paper and smiled. “This is awesome!”

Kaiba snorted. “Don’t get too attached to it, mutt. The instructor would never believe _you_ wrote something that lucid, so I had to dumb it down…a lot. _This_ is the paper you will be turning in.” He took the report from Jou and handed another folder to the blond, his smirk widening. “Now, can we begin?” 

The blond scanned the second essay, his smile quickly fading. “Fine,” Jou responded tartly, stuffing the paper in his jacket.

Kaiba’s attorney rose and cleared his throat. “Good evening. My name is Mr. Smith. Mr. Kaiba has briefed me on what he needs and I have drawn up the preliminary document. All we need to do is finalize a few details and you will be ready to go. I suppose the first thing we need to determine is what time frame we’ll be working within.” He turned to Kaiba for guidance.

The brunet folded his arms arrogantly across his chest. “You have until 9:00 tomorrow evening to convince me. If you can’t do it in by then, you never will.”

“One day? Are you fucking kidding me?” Jou exploded. “In reality I only have tomorrow during school, because knowing you, you’ll disappear for the rest of the day and I’ll have no chance!”

“Alright then,” Kaiba conceded. “I will make myself available to you, should you require it. Here’s my cell number; try not to call.” Jou scowled, but nodded in agreement and pocketed the brunet’s business card.

“Good,” Smith nodded, frantically making changes to the final document on his laptop. “Anything else?”

“Yes,” Kaiba said coolly. “This is a project solely for the mutt; he is to do this completely on his own without the help of his friends.” Jou’s eyes widened slightly, but he eventually nodded his assent.

“Alright,” Smith replied with a final deliberate keystroke. “Let me see if I’ve covered everything. We’ve got the basic agreement which states that Mr. Jounouchi must convince Mr. Kaiba of his need for other people by 9:00 pm tomorrow evening or else the winner is Mr. Kaiba. Mr. Kaiba agrees that he will be available to Mr. Jounouchi whenever required, and Mr. Jounouchi must work through the terms of this agreement without outside interference. The winner will own the loser for a period of 24 hours, beginning at 9:01 pm tomorrow evening. However, in that span of time, no request can be made that is illegal or would cause irreparable harm or death to the individual. Is that all?” Kaiba and Jou both nodded and Smith printed out three copies of the contract. 

“Hey,” Jou began as he stared at the document before him, twirling his pen between his slim fingers. “How the hell am I supposed to know I’ve convinced you?”

“You’ll have to take my word for it,” Kaiba responded as he finished signing the third copy with an elaborate pen stroke.

“Yeah, like that’s fucking fair!” Jou shouted in outrage.

Kaiba glowered at him. “Life’s not fair; those are the terms. Now step up and accept them, or turn tail and run like the make-inu you are.”

With a growl of rage, Jou snatched the papers off the table and impulsively scribbled his name on the document. “Fuck you, Kaiba,” he muttered under his breath as he handed the pile back to Smith.

The attorney quickly notarized the contracts, and once all three copies were signed, Smith handed one to Jou, one to Kaiba, and kept one for his files. Casting a sympathetic glance towards the blond, Smith snapped his briefcase closed and said, “Good luck to you gentlemen.”

Taking that as his cue to leave, Jou stood up and walked proudly out of the room, casting a final glance back at the brunet. Boldly, almost defiantly, he met Kaiba’s icy stare, not breaking the gaze until he was back in the hallway. Shutting the door behind him, he let out a weary breath. What the hell had he gotten himself into?


	2. Chapter Two

By the time Jou arrived home later that evening, he was feeling very overwhelmed and stressed. When Kaiba had originally challenged him, Jou had been certain that this task would be a piece of cake. At Kaiba Corp, he’d been a lot less certain and had even considered backing out. But, in typical Kaiba fashion, the brunet had managed to goad him into signing that damned contract and now he was doomed. Glumly, he entered his apartment and dejectedly kicked off his shoes, feeling a little bit better when one sneaker sailed through the air and struck the living room wall, leaving a small, black smudge in its wake. Trudging up the stairs to his room, he flopped backwards onto his bed and stared absently at the ceiling. He was seriously screwed. With a sigh, he turned his head to look at the cheap alarm clock on his desk, noting that it was only 9:30; Yugi would still awake, and might know how to cheer him up. Stretching out his arm, he grabbed the receiver, his slim fingers blindly dialling the familiar number. “Hey Yug,” Jou replied when he heard the soft voice answer on the other end.

“Hey Jou, what’s up?” Yugi asked, a little puzzled as to why his best friend would be calling him so late in the evening. “Is everything ok?”

Jou let out a heavy sigh. “I dunno, pal. It’s been an…interesting day. I guess I’m just a little tired and a little frustrated and I wanted to hear a friendly voice. That’s all.”

“Come on Jou,” Yugi’s voice admonished him from over the phone line. “I know you better than that. Now tell me what’s up.”

The blond sighed again. “I wish I could Yug, but this is something I’ve gotta do on my own…”

* * *

Shortly before 10:00 that night, Seto Kaiba trudged wearily into his estate. When he had initially thrown down his challenge to the blond, he had not expected the mutt to actually follow through with it. Now, as he stared at the cream-coloured file folder in his hand, he had to admit he felt a little apprehensive. Kaiba had always conducted business by knowing _exactly_ what his adversary was going to do; there were no surprises. Unfortunately, there was no predictability when it came to Jounouchi and, as the brunet grudgingly acknowledged the blond’s past resourcefulness, he knew that there was a chance, albeit a slim one, that he could wind up losing this thing. And that was something that he just could _not_ let happen, he thought with a scowl. Trying to forget what the next day held in store for him, he headed upstairs to check in on his little brother.

Kaiba knocked softly on the door and, without waiting for a reply, quietly turned the knob. He had hoped that Mokuba would be in bed and sleeping; however, the raven-haired boy was very much awake and watching a movie on his television. “Shouldn’t you be asleep by now?” Kaiba asked, a hint of amusement evident in his voice. The smaller boy jumped at the sound of his brother’s question, clinging even tighter to the puppy plushie he held in his arms. Kaiba smiled; even though Mokuba was practically a teenager, he still clung tenaciously to many of the endearing traits of childhood. “You have school tomorrow,” the brunet continued.

“I know, but I was hoping to talk to you tonight, Seto,” Mokuba replied as he absently fingered the soft, brown fur of the plushie.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What about?”

Mokuba dropped his gaze to his comforter and took a deep breath. “My friend from school, Hideo, is going up the coast this weekend and has asked me if I’d like to come along. It’s ok with his parents; they gave me their number to give to you so you can talk to them about it. I really want to go, it’s just…” Mokuba took another deep breath and continued, “…well, we had plans for tomorrow.”

Kaiba’s blood ran cold. What plans? 

Soulful slate-blue eyes stared sadly into bright sapphire. “You forgot, didn’t you Seto?” he asked softly. “It’s ok, really…I know how busy things are right now.” The raven-haired boy forced his face into a small smile. “Next time I’ll make an appointment, ne?” he joked. 

Kaiba swallowed hard, feeling extremely guilty. “Mokuba, I’m really sorry I forgot. You are the most important thing in my life and there is _no_ excuse for what I did. I swear that I’ll make it up to you.”

The younger boy nodded and let out a soft sigh. He’d heard Seto say that more times than he could remember and, every time they made plans, something would inevitably arise with the company. It was disappointing, but it was all part of being related to the CEO of the most successful corporation in the area. “Sounds good, big brother,” he replied half-heartedly. “So, can I go with Hideo?”

“As soon as I speak with his father, I will let you know.”

Mokuba hugged his older brother, knowing full-well that he’d be permitted to go and that the telephone call was a mere formality. “Thanks, Seto. You’re the best.”

Kaiba smirked, “Go to sleep before I change my mind.” He stepped back into the hall, shutting Mokuba’s door behind him. He entered his own room and sat down at his laptop. While he scanned his email, he thought about what he could do with his younger brother next weekend. Seeing an urgent message from his chief engineer, Kaiba cursed softly and frowned as he read about the latest problem the programmers were having with the new holographic generators. All thoughts of his younger brother momentarily forgotten, Kaiba began typing back his reply.

* * *

Within half an hour, Kaiba had managed to solve the frantic engineer’s problem. With a silent snort of contempt and a passing thought about the incompetence of the people in his employ, he lay on his back on his bed staring mutely at the ceiling. As he permitted his mind to wander, his thoughts kept drifting back to Jounouchi and their earlier conversation. Kaiba smirked. Sitting behind Jou did have _some_ advantages – like allowing him to stare unabashedly without fear of detection. He found the blond extremely easy on the eyes and, despite his lackadaisical eating habits, Jou _did_ have a very toned physique. If only it weren’t for the incessant yapping… With a self-satisfied chuckle Kaiba reminded himself, he didn’t _need_ a pet trailing around after him everywhere he went, nor did he _require_ a group of cheerleaders to stroke his ego – he did that well enough on his own, thank you very much. But, did he _want_ the blond? Oh _hell_ yeah; even though it was only out of pure lust, Jou was unwittingly capable of driving Kaiba to distraction and making him feel weak in the knees. However, come tomorrow evening he was going to satisfy _that_ particular craving and get it out of his system once and for all. Then perhaps he would be able to get on with his life. Kaiba’s smirk widened as he thought of their bet. Jounouchi was an idiot to think that he could convince him of something so asinine. 

He was pulled from his reverie by the shrill ring of his cell phone. Frowning slightly as he gave a quick glance at the clock, he pulled the small device from his pocket and deftly flipped it open. “Kaiba,” he said coolly.

“You know, would it kill you to say ‘hello’ first?” Jou’s voice replied snippily from the other end. “Christ, working hours are over, Kaiba. You need to get that rod out of your ass and relax a little.” 

The brunet snorted. “You’re quite the expert on what I need today,” he said frostily. “Common courtesy would dictate you not call after a particular time.”

Jou laughed. “Yeah, well your contract says that I can call you, and I quote, ‘whenever required’.”

“Ah, I see that the puppy can read,” Kaiba quipped, picturing the irritated look on the blond’s face and smirking.

“Screw you,” Jou growled. “I didn’t call you to be insulted.”

“Then why are you bothering me, inu?”

“I wanted to ask you something.”

“It couldn’t have waited until the morning?”

“Hey, I’m working on a timeline here, Kaiba. Cut me some fucking slack, ok?”

Kaiba’s eyes twinkled. Jou was feeling the time crunch, and he was getting nervous. And, nervous people _always_ made mistakes. “Fine,” he replied offhandedly with a small sigh as he rolled his eyes.

“I was wondering; if you claim you want nothing to do with us, then why are you always helping us?”

“I do it for Mokuba’s sake. For some reason, he considers you his friends…”

“Bullshit!” Jou interrupted. “You do it for yourself, Kaiba. I know that you try to convince yourself that you do it for Mokuba, but deep down, I think you’re compensating for something – something that’s missing from your life. In Battle City, for example, why’d you help Yugi find me and the others? It’s because you secretly want to be a part of our group, isn’t it?”

“Baka. No, I wanted to duel him, and he wouldn’t until he’d found you.”

“Then why the hell didn’t you challenge him as soon as we were all safe and sound? Why’d you walk away?”

“It would have been in poor taste to do so at that time, what with the happy reunion and all. No, I decided that the best place to defeat Yugi would be at the top of my duelling tower – where it would have _real_ impact.”

“Yeah, and we all know how well _that_ went, eh Kaiba?” Jou commented dryly.

Kaiba’s face flushed red with anger at the memory of his defeat and his mouth turned down into a hard scowl. “Watch what you say, Mutt,” he seethed. “If it wasn’t for Mokuba, I never would have anything to do with any of you.” He heard Jou chuckle softly over the line and his frown intensified. “You had better not be _laughing_ at me!” the brunet hissed dangerously. 

“I’m not laughing at you, Kaiba. If anything, I feel sorry for you.”

Kaiba could feel himself becoming more enraged by the minute. It was one thing to be mocked in the pathetic way that only Jounouchi was capable of; it was a completely different thing to be pitied. Pity was for the weak and the stupid. He was neither. “Excuse me?” he growled, his voice dripping with contempt. 

“I feel sorry for you because you seem to use your little brother as a crutch. Everything you do that makes people think that maybe you’re really not such an asshole after all you excuse by saying you do it for Mokuba. What a load of shit. What are you going to do when Mokuba is no longer there?”

“I beg your pardon?” Kaiba spat defensively.

“Look Kaiba; Mokuba’s a great kid, but he’s not going to be with you forever, you know. He’s getting to that age now where he’s going to start dating and, when that happens, do you really think he’s going to be sitting at home waiting for his big brother to arrive? When that day comes and, believe me, it’ll come sooner than you think, you’re going to be the one left all alone, sitting by yourself with just your computers and your gadgets to keep you company.”

“That’s enough, Mutt,” Kaiba said warningly. “Drop it while you still can.”

“No I won’t, Kaiba. Shit, you’re just a giant control freak, and your little brother is just one more thing you _think_ you can control. For some _bizarre_ reason, the little guy idolises you; worships the ground you walk on. And you? You’re just an arrogant, selfish bastard, Kaiba. You force the same isolation on him that you impose on yourself by having him sit idly at home to wait for you to show up, whenever you show up. Are you going to prevent him from dating? Are you going to keep him a prisoner in his own house? Mokuba does everything for you and, granted, you _have_ taken care of his basic needs all these years, but what’s the last thing you’ve done for him that was solely for _his_ own enjoyment? When’s the last time you spent any _time_ with him?”

“I really don’t think my personal affairs are any of your concern. Now, I’m warning you, Jounouchi…” Kaiba’s voice had lost its composure and had a distinctively angry edge to it. He could feel his self-control waning and he found that, despite his best efforts, he was unable to pull himself together.

“What about if he gets married?” Jou continued, ignoring the brunet’s threats. “What if he moves away because his partner has to move? What if he finds the love of his mate is stronger than the brotherly love he has for you? What will you do then? Will you deny him that love?”

“Enough!” Kaiba roared, his eyes narrowed in a full-blown rage and his lips contorted into a menacing snarl. “I’ve heard enough of this…this…NONSENSE!” In a fury, he snapped his cell phone shut and hurled it across the room where it struck the wall and shattered. “Who the hell does he think he is?” Kaiba ranted as he proceeded to storm around his room in an angry rampage.

Meanwhile, halfway across town, Jou carefully hung up the telephone, a small smile on his lips. He may not have convinced Kaiba yet, but for the first time in as long as he had known the brunet, he had struck a nerve. And damn, did it feel good.


	3. Chapter Three

By the next morning, Kaiba had calmed down considerably. It had taken him well past midnight to relax, and only then with the help of a very strong sedative. Now, as he sipped his coffee while reading the morning paper, he felt ready to take on the new day. He watched with some amusement as Mokuba inhaled his breakfast, using the few extra minutes afforded him to finish packing for his weekend away. Watching his little brother scamper around, haphazardly stuffing random items of clothing into a duffel bag, he felt a small twinge of guilt and anger. Guilt because, deep down, he knew that Jounouchi had been at least partially correct, and anger because he realized that Jounouchi knew him better than he had been given credit for. Kaiba gave his head a small shake, pushing all thoughts of the blond out of his mind. Instead, he called out to his brother, “Mokuba, we’d better get going or else we’ll be late.”

A shock of raven-black hair popped into view and the younger boy grinned. “Ok Seto, just let me grab my books.” With that he was gone, his hurried footsteps echoing on the stairs as he ran up to his room.

Kaiba folded his newspaper and laid it neatly beside him on the table. He then grabbed his briefcase and headed for the door, narrowly avoiding a collision with his brother as the younger Kaiba came skidding to a halt in his stocking feet at the front door. The brunet gave the smaller boy a stern glare, then rolled his eyes and smirked. “I’ll wait for you in the car.” Slowly he walked down the driveway and slid behind the wheel of the sleek, black Jaguar XKR. He brought the engine to life and, as soon as Mokuba had joined him and was buckled in, he pulled out onto the street.

Arriving in front of Mokuba’s school, Kaiba leaned over and gave his brother a small hug. As the raven-haired boy climbed out of the passenger side, Kaiba asked, “What time will you be leaving this evening?”

Mokuba turned back to his brother and smiled. “We’ll probably be leaving sometime around 4:30. Thanks again, Seto, for letting me go.”

Nodding in return, the brunet smirked and added, “Fine. I still expect you to have your homework completed by the time you get home on Sunday.” 

Mokuba huffed impatiently and rolled his eyes, but nodded. Giving his brother another quick hug, the young boy waved good-bye as Kaiba sped off for his own school. 

For most of the ten-minute drive, Kaiba allowed his thoughts to drift back to Jou. He had to admit, he was still slightly annoyed with the blond for causing him to lose his temper like he had. But at the same time, he also felt a modicum of respect – no one had _ever_ caused the unwaveringly stoic brunet to lose his self-control like that before. Not even Pegasus or the Big Five had been able to get to him like that. Kaiba smirked; Jounouchi was _definitely_ an enigma, one he grudgingly admitted would be incredibly fun to try to figure out.

When Kaiba pulled his car into the parking lot at the high school, he was mildly surprised to see Jounouchi standing on the sidewalk, alone and apparently waiting for him. The brunet forced his face into a small scowl as he saw the blond approach his car, secretly excited about seeing the puppy but at the same time knowing he had to be on his guard. Last night had been just a little _too_ close for comfort. “Lose your playmates?” he asked, sounding bored.

“I needed to talk to you alone,” Jou replied. “That’s what the rules tell me, anyway.”

A small smirk played across Kaiba’s lips. “Then what do you want, koinu?” he drawled tauntingly as he eyed the blond appreciatively from head to toe.

“This is the teacher’s lot,” Jou replied as he admired the Jaguar, seemingly oblivious to Kaiba’s wolfish gaze.

“So what are you? The parking police?” Kaiba retorted with a sneer. “Not that you need to know, but the principal and I have an arrangement.” Despite himself, the brunet smirked as he remembered how he had ‘accidentally’ walked in on the principal in a compromising position with his secretary and a student.

“Whatever. I don’t really give a damn,” Jou shrugged offhandedly as he walked around the rear of the vehicle. “Sweet car,” he added, running his fingers along the sleek curves of the fenders.

Kaiba winced as he thought about all the fingerprints the blond was putting in the carnauba wax job and he half-expected to see Jou start salivating at any moment. “Was there anything in particular you wanted, or are you just here to further irritate me?”

Hearing those words Jou’s head perked up and he smiled, a slightly mischievous twinkle in his eye. “I tried calling you back last night to see if you were ok, but I kept getting a message that your phone was temporarily out of service. What’s up with that?”

“I broke it. It will be replaced by this afternoon,” Kaiba replied evenly.

The blond nodded. “Yeah, those things are fragile…” Turning his back to the brunet as he walked around the front of the car, his eyes glinted with amusement. Jou was pretty sure he knew _exactly_ how his cell phone had mysteriously broken. Rejoining Kaiba, he leaned casually against the front fender and asked, “So, did I convince you yet?”

Kaiba snorted. “Hardly.”

“What’s the matter, Moneybags? Truth hurt?” Jou jeered. 

Kaiba knew that Jou had only said it as a childish taunt and there was _no way_ he could have known about what had happened with Mokuba. Nevertheless, the brunet’s bruised ego and feelings of guilt combined with Jou’s poorly timed teasing to create a volatile emotional explosion. Rational thought momentarily forgotten, Kaiba grabbed the blond roughly by his jacket lapels. Violently jerking Jou towards him, Kaiba slouched slightly so he could gaze fiercely into the blond’s startled amber eyes. “You don’t know _anything_ Jounouchi,” he snarled, his face a mask of pure rage. “I’d do _anything_ for my little brother and don’t you forget it!”

Jou blinked in stunned confusion for a moment before asking gently, “Who said anything about Mokuba? Kaiba, why are you so angry? Come on, come out with us tonight and blow off some steam. Who knows; you might _actually_ have fun!”

“I’d sooner let Pegasus have his way with me on live television than be seen anywhere in public with the likes of you and your group. I depend on no one but myself,” Kaiba hissed contemptuously. “I’ve gotten along this far without anyone, and I certainly don’t need any of you.” He shoved Jou away from him, grabbed his briefcase from the car and stormed off towards the school.

As Jou watched the retreating form, he shook his head sadly. “Fine Kaiba,” he said aloud to no one in particular. “Too bad we all can’t be as lucky as you. Must be nice to never feel hurt or rejected.” With a heavy sigh, he jammed his hands in his pockets and headed off in the direction of his first class.

* * *

By the time he climbed into his car at the end of the day, Kaiba was more than happy to be leaving. For the entire day, Jou had made no effort to further convince him of his need for people. Instead the puppy had been uncharacteristically quiet, sitting passively at his desk in quiet introspection and turning occasionally to cast wistful glances behind him in the brunet’s direction. All in all, Kaiba found this behaviour extremely unnerving. He took great comfort in the fact that, for the most part, people were creatures of habit and very predictable. Deviations from the norm tended to put him on edge and in a foul mood. With an exasperated snort, he threw his car in gear and sped off for the peace and solitude of his office.

He had just settled down to work when his new cell phone rang. He eyed the small device accusingly; it had been delivered to him not ten minutes prior and already it was disturbing him. Irritably, he flipped it open. “Kaiba,” he snapped in a clipped voice.

“Hey Kaiba,” Jou’s voice echoed from the other end.

The brunet gave an impatient snort and leaned back in his chair. “What do you want, inu? I’ve got better things to do than talk to you.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Jou remarked tersely. “You need to come down to Yugi’s place double-quick.”

“I already told you, I have no interest in a play date with you or your group.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake Kaiba, get over yourself already,” Jou growled, obviously annoyed. “It has nothing to do with you. It’s Mokuba.”

Without another word, Kaiba was on his way to the Mutou’s.

* * *

When the brunet entered the small shop, he saw his brother sitting on a small stool, his head resting against the counter and his body shaking with small, hiccupping sobs. Anzu was standing behind him, tenderly stroking his hair while Yugi was watching the small boy with liquid amethyst eyes, patting him gently on the back. Sugoroku had just re-entered the store from the back area with a steaming mug of tea for the young boy. Seeing Kaiba standing there, he nodded solemnly in greeting, and then turned his attention back to the raven-haired boy.

Crossing the small area between the front door and the counter, Kaiba looked down at his brother in concern and asked, “Mokuba, what’s wrong?”

The younger Kaiba picked up his head and looked at his older sibling through tear filled eyes. “Hideo’s sick, and…we can’t go…any…more,” he sobbed softly. “And…you’re…busy…this…weekend…” he added, his voice becoming more forlorn.

“Mokuba, I…” Kaiba began, enviously watching as the four teens lavished attention and concern on the young boy and feeling somewhat angry and resentful that he had not been the one his brother had come to for help. He became aware of several sets of eyes on him and, setting his face in a scowl he ungraciously pushed Anzu out of his way to stand next to his brother.

“Hey!” Anzu yelped as she was shoved backwards into Honda. “You don’t have to be so rude, Kaiba! We’re all just trying to help.”

“That’s the problem,” he hissed cruelly, his jealousy fuelling his growing hostility. “You’re always sticking your nose into my business. Try minding your own.” His eyes were like ice as he glared at the petite brunet. Turning back to Mokuba he asked gently but sternly, “Why didn’t you call me and tell me about this?”

“I tried, Seto!” Mokuba began, his tears now stopped. “But, I couldn’t reach you on your cell, and I left a message for you at the office. When I didn’t hear from you, I didn’t know where else to go so I came here!”

“How resourceful of you,” Kaiba remarked dryly, shifting his eyes to glare once more at the group. “Come on Mokuba, let’s go home.” Placing his hand on the smaller boy’s back, he steered him towards the front door. He was just reaching for the knob when he heard Yugi’s voice call out to him.

“Kaiba, wait!” Yugi called frantically; he then turned back to his grandfather, whispering excitedly.

“What is it Yugi? I don’t have all day,” Kaiba said tersely, stepping back into the room and glancing quickly up at the clock. He saw Sugoroku smile and nod as he walked back into the rear office. 

Yugi beamed excitedly at the group. “Kaiba, Grandpa and I were going to be going to a gaming conference this weekend and, well, since you’re busy and Mokuba’s plans fell through, why doesn’t he come with us?” He smiled almost shyly at the Kaiba brothers and continued, “I mean, Mokuba is up on all the latest games, so I _know_ he’d be a great asset to have with us, plus it’d be a chance for him to see all the newest stuff before it’s released to the public.”

His recent disappointment forgotten, Mokuba’s eyes brimmed with excitement as he looked up at his brother. “That’d be so cool, and _much_ more fun than the beach! Please Seto? Can I go?”

The brunet snorted contemptuously. “I’m sure you could find more productive uses for your time. Wait for me in the car.” 

Mokuba’s eyes went wide as he stared at his brother with disappointment, a fresh wave of tears rising precariously and threatening to fall. “But Seto –“

Kaiba narrowed his eyes impatiently. “Now!” he commanded, ushering the young boy out the door and shutting it firmly behind him. “I don’t think so,” he said frigidly, turning back to the group with a glare. “What a _good friend_ you are Yugi, to invite my brother as an afterthought. How altruistic,” he sneered.

“You selfish, arrogant bastard!” Honda seethed, his hazel eyes narrowed in anger and his hands clenched in fists. “Just who the hell –“

“Honda, stay,” Anzu interrupted as she held her arms out to the side to prevent the wedge-haired teen from going after Kaiba. The petite girl glared at Kaiba with an icy stare to rival his own. “How _dare_ you?” she began, her blue eyes flashing in anger. “You come in here, after we called _you_ , and proceed to insult us like this whole problem is _our_ fault. Then, when you hear _why_ your brother is upset and are presented with a good way to make him happy, you _insult_ Yugi and deny Mokuba the opportunity to redeem his weekend.” She shook her head incredulously while Kaiba merely rolled his eyes.

“You done?” he demanded icily.

“She sure is,” Jou squeaked nervously, trying to clamp a hand over Anzu’s mouth before she could continue her tirade.

“Hardly!” she snapped back, elbowing the blond out of the way and placing her hands defiantly on her hips. “What is _wrong_ with you, Kaiba? Mokuba’s whole life revolves around you. He supports you and he helps you unconditionally. Do you deserve it? Not by a long shot! Then, when he asks you to go away with Yugi – _Yugi_ of all people – you act as though he’d suggested going away with some kind of a psychopath! You know that Yugi wouldn’t let anything happen to Mokuba, so what’s your problem? Are you afraid that Mokuba might actually have _fun_ and enjoy himself? Tell him, Jou!” 

The blond’s wide eyes flicked frantically from Kaiba to Anzu and back to Kaiba. Remembering his conversation with the brunet from the previous evening and finding it ironically familiar, he knew there was no way that this was going to turn out well.

“Yeah!” Honda interjected, peering around Anzu’s shoulders. “What do _you_ have planned for him? Gonna leave him sitting by himself at home while you work on some bullshit project for KaibaCorp? At least _one_ Kaiba doesn’t have a stick shoved so far up his ass that he can’t recognize a gesture of friendship when he sees it. Why not just let the kid have some fun; after all, you’ll be spending your weekend with your computer, all alone, just like you like it; right Jou?”

Jou groaned and slumped his head on the counter. In any other situation with any other person, he probably would have found the entire thing quite comical. But this was Kaiba and, while the brunet might not have noticed the glaring similarities with Anzu, there was no way he could not have noticed this time with Honda. He was screwed. And he knew it. “Fuck,” he muttered miserably.

Kaiba glanced quickly at Honda, who still looked ready to fight, and then over to the blond, and suddenly he understood what was going on. Jou’s face was pale and he was shaking his head forlornly as he slouched on the opposite end of the counter. The puppy had failed to keep his friends in tow, and now the blond was his. The corners of the brunet’s lips turned up in a malicious smirk, his sapphire eyes glinting viciously. “All right, Yugi,” Kaiba conceded. “I’ll let Mokuba go, but you will be _personally_ responsible should anything happen to him.” He caught Jou’s eye, and his smirk widened.

Yugi, Anzu and Honda exchanged confused looks. _Never_ had they known the brunet to yield so readily. Honda quirked a curious eyebrow and asked, “Not that we’re not happy for Mokuba’s sake, but what the hell’s so funny?”

“It turns out that a business transaction I’d been somewhat concerned about suddenly isn’t that much of a concern after all. Isn’t that right, Jounouchi?”

Three sets of eyes flicked over to the blond, who was now glaring furiously at Kaiba. “You son-of-a-bitch!” Jou fumed. “You _knew_ something like this might happen, didn’t you? That was why you threw that bullshit condition in there, wasn’t it? Fuck! Was using our friendship with Mokuba a part of your plan, too? Damn it! I should have known you’d find some way to cheat!”

“Jou, what’s he talking about?” Yugi asked softly, gently laying a hand on his best friend’s arm.

“Cheat?” Kaiba exclaimed dubiously. “You _knew_ what you were getting into, inu, so don’t make excuses for your failure. You lose. Get over it.” Triumphantly, he turned on his heel and headed back for the door. Pausing at the threshold, he turned and called back over his shoulder, “Yugi, I’ll bring Mokuba by in a half an hour. As for you, koinu, I’ll see you at my office at nine. Don’t be late.”

Closing the door behind him, Kaiba’s self-satisfied smirk was replaced with an expression of shock as he swore he heard Honda grumble, “Shit Jou, I can’t _believe_ you like that guy…”


	4. Chapter Four

True to his word, Kaiba was back at the Game Shop within half an hour. When he had told Mokuba that he had permission to go, the young boy had been ecstatic. Mokuba had chatted excitedly the entire drive home to pick up his things, as well as the entire drive back, but Kaiba had barely heard a word. His mind kept drifting back to what he _thought_ he had heard Honda say. Jou liked him? Had feelings for him? Well hell, didn’t _that_ just throw a wrench into everything. Giving his head a shake, he pulled up to the game shop trying to momentarily forget about the blond. Kaiba smirked to himself as he watched the young boy bound happily out of the car and race to the front door. He couldn’t _recall_ a time when he had seen his brother so excited and, secretly grateful to Yugi, he ushered the small boy inside as he followed behind him, carrying his suitcase. Once inside, he saw Honda and Anzu standing behind the counter; Yugi and Jou were nowhere in sight. Ignoring their disapproving glances, he stood silently with Mokuba and waited. Within a few moments, Sugoroku came in from the back office, smiling warmly as he took the case from Kaiba. Beckoning to Mokuba to follow, the two disappeared into the back area to finish preparing for their trip.

While he waited for the elder Mutou to return with contact phone numbers, he looked around the store, every so often casting a withering glare at the pair of brunets. “Where’s the other half of the fantastic four?” he asked belligerently, scowling when he received no reply. After a few more minutes of being stared at, he’d finally had enough. “Problem?” he snapped.

“Kaiba, how could you?” Anzu hissed as she glared at him.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he drawled lazily.

“You know _exactly_ what I’m talking about!” she retorted. “How could you take advantage of Jou’s feelings and trusting nature like you did? Jou just told us all about the little ‘bet’ the two of you made.”

“Then I’m sure he also told you about how we had the terms drawn up by an attorney, and how _both_ of us agreed to it, ne?” He folded his arms across his chest arrogantly and glared defiantly at her. “In fact, if I recall correctly it was _your_ interference that ultimately led to his failure.”

“Kaiba, for someone who’s so smart, you can sure be dense sometimes!” Anzu huffed in exasperation, ignoring the accusation. “Jou would have agreed to _anything_ you proposed because…oh never mind; someone like _you_ wouldn’t understand anyway.”

Kaiba scowled. “No? Then tell me Anzu,” he growled dangerously as he narrowed his eyes spitefully. “Just what _is_ a person like me?”

“You’re cold, unfeeling and generally unpleasant. You don’t deserve the unconditional devotion someone would be willing to give to you.”

“And just who is this _someone_?” he sneered. “You? Don’t flatter yourself.”

“The hell with you, Kaiba!” Anzu snapped. “If you’re too stupid to see the signs, then you don’t deserve to know.”

Before Kaiba could reply, Yugi came out from behind a sliding partition. Smiling up at his friends, he said softly, “He’s finally calmed down and I think he’s going to be ok, now. I’ve never seen him that upset before!” Catching sight of his visitor, Yugi blinked in surprise and greeted, “Oh, hi Kaiba! Is Mokuba here?”

Fighting back the urge to make some caustic remark about how he wouldn’t have come here on his own, he settled instead for a curt nod. “He’s with your grandfather,” he added brusquely. “As fun as this is, I have other things to attend to. Here’s my card; have him call my cell phone when he’s found that contact number.” Kaiba took a couple of steps towards the door, and then stopped. Without looking back, the brunet sighed and called over his shoulder, “Yugi, tell Jou I release him from the contract.” ‘I think we’re now playing by a whole new set of rules,’ Kaiba thought as he closed the door silently behind him.

* * *

Later that evening Kaiba sat behind the large mahogany desk in his office, his elbows resting on the polished surface, his head resting in a very undignified manner against his palms. The pile of reports he was _supposed_ to be reviewing and signing off sat neglected, having been pushed unceremoniously to the side. His laptop lay silent and forgotten in its case; his cell phone was turned off. He kept replaying everything over and over in his mind, particularly the verbal assault that Anzu had laid on him. She had strongly implied that Jou thought more of him than just a rival; and Honda, he _had_ to have been referring to him, right? Now, as he thought back on his recent encounters with the blond, all the signs were there – the lingering glances in class that held no malice and the subsequent flushes of embarrassment whenever he’d catch Jou’s eye, the way the blond would go deliberately out of his way to walk past his locker, the relentless hounding to get him to participate with the group. Had he been more astute, he would have easily noticed them. Now, as he sat there thinking about how he had been planning to use the blond for his own selfish purposes, he felt disgusted with himself. Anzu was right; he didn’t deserve him. He was startled from wallowing in self-pity by a commotion in his outer office.

“I don’t give a fuck _what_ Kaiba says, and you can take that appointment book and shove it up your ass for all I care!” he heard Jou’s agitated voice ring out.

“You are not authorized to go in there! I’m calling security!” he heard his secretary shout shrilly.

“Look lady, I’ve never hit a woman before, but you’re really pushing my limits. Now let go of my fucking arm or I’m gonna deck you!” 

There was the sound of more scuffling, the sound of muffled voices shouting, and then the door to his office was abruptly flung open. Jounouchi tumbled clumsily through the doorway and to the floor, three security guards holding him down. His secretary stood frozen, a look of horror on her face as she glanced over to the brunet. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Kaiba,” she began, her voice trembling in fear. “I tried to keep him out, and I tried to keep him quiet, but he was adamant about seeing you. I didn’t mean to disturb you; now that security is here, we’ll get him out of the building immediately. I’ll contact Mr. Smith about filing harassment charges against him.”

Kaiba stood up slowly, his gaze moving from his grovelling secretary to the blond heap on the floor. “No.”

“But Sir, he –“

“Are you _questioning_ me?” he glowered, staring icily at the woman, who was now cowering against the doorjamb.

“N-no Sir,” she stammered. “But I thought –“

“That was your first mistake,” Kaiba sneered, interrupting her. “When I need your opinion, I’ll ask for it.” He turned his gaze to the security personnel. “Let him up. Then get out – all of you.”

The guards hesitantly released their hold on the blond and then stood up and backed out of the office, followed quickly by the secretary, who shut the door behind her. Once they were gone Jou got to his feet, glaring daggers at the brunet with reddened, swollen eyes. Kaiba quickly noted the blond’s dishevelled appearance and waited silently while Jou made a half-hearted attempt to straighten out his clothes. The silence hung heavy in the air and, when Jou made no move to speak, Kaiba asked nonchalantly, “What’s wrong, inu?”

The casual words spoken by the brunet seemed to incite Jounouchi into action. Taking a couple of steps towards Kaiba’s desk, he fumed, “What the fuck gives you the right to cancel that contract? Am I supposed to be grateful to you? Am I supposed to kiss your ass now for your ‘kindness’?” He scowled irritably then continued, “I entered into a _legally binding_ contract with you, Kaiba, and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let you think that I took the easy way out and backed down from you.” Angry tears prickled at the corner of Jou’s eyes as he took another few steps towards the brunet. “Don’t fucking insult me with your pretend charity.” In annoyance, he made a frustrated swipe at the impending tears. “Fine Kaiba, I admit it. You were right all along; maybe you don’t need anyone.”

The brunet frowned in confusion. “What is this really about, Jounouchi? Are you upset because you lost?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Kaiba!” Jou exploded. “You think this is about me losing? I’ve lost to you before; I don’t give a shit about that. I just have to know one thing, your contract be damned!” Before Kaiba could react, Jou had quickly closed the small distance between them. Tangling a hand in the brunet’s hair, Jou brought his lips in contact with Kaiba’s in a searing kiss. For a moment time seemed to stand still and there was just the two of them, lips pressed forcibly against one another as their bodies were crushed together. Then, not one, but two tongues hungrily flicked out to taste and explore.

Kaiba could feel his head swimming in dizzying pleasure as a rush of blood surged to his groin. Lust and desire and want overwhelmed his senses, and he moaned wantonly into the blond’s mouth despite himself. He moved to draw Jou closer to him as if to meld them into one perfect form but, just as suddenly as it had started, the kiss was over. He opened his eyes slowly and saw Jou standing a few feet away from him, his amber eyes glazed over in a lust-induced haze, his cheeks flush with colour. Kaiba stared hungrily as Jou’s skilled tongue quickly flicked out to rest along the blond’s upper lip, and it took every ounce of his self-control to remain where he stood. He was still reeling from the sensations that one gesture had instilled in him. Faltering slightly, Kaiba stammered, “Jou…I –“

Amber eyes stared resolutely at the brunet. “Now don’t say that didn’t affect you,” Jou began hesitantly, interrupting him. “I know that a physical response doesn’t necessarily prove anything, and maybe you really don’t need anyone.” He looked at Kaiba uncertainly, the determination in his gaze wavering slightly. “But damn it Kaiba, and for the life of me I don’t know why, but _I_ need _you_ , and doesn’t that at least count for _something_? The need to be needed?” Slowly, he shifted his eyes to the floor and sighed. “Fuck,” he muttered lowly. “I’ve made a big enough ass out of myself for one night. Later, Kaiba.” Before Jou could move, he felt a hand grab his wrist. Startled, he looked up to see the brunet standing beside him, a melancholy expression on his face.

“Wait…please,” he said softly, gently pulling the blond closer to him. “There’s a quote that says ‘people need love the most when they deserve it the least’. Looks like I fit that profile, ne?” he said with a bitter smile as he apprehensively brushed a lock of hair from of the blond’s eyes. “You are a gorgeous creature, Jounouchi. And I was wrong…partially.” He saw the confused expression on Jou’s face and his sapphire eyes twinkled in amusement. “I told you, I don’t need _anyone_ , Jou. But, I need _you_.” Cautiously he allowed his lips to brush lightly across the blond’s. “It just took you to convince me.” He took Jou’s hands in his and, wrapping them around his waist, Kaiba led them over to the black leather settee. When he felt the backs of his legs bump against the cushions, he sat down, pulling the blond down to straddle his hips.  
He looked tenderly into Jou’s face and, seeing the startled gaze in those amber eyes, he felt himself tense uncomfortably. “Jou, I – I’m sorry. I can’t…won’t force you. If you don’t want to, I understand.” He looked away, the disappointment clouding his sapphire eyes. ‘What did you expect?’ he berated himself savagely, trying to stave off the bitterness he felt. “Come on pup,” Kaiba sighed heavily. “I’ll give you a ride home.” He tried to gently push the blond off his lap, raising his eyebrows in surprise when he was met with some resistance. “Pup?” he asked questioningly.

“Shut up, Kaiba,” Jou breathed as he leaned forward and captured the brunet’s lips with his own. While his tongue once more explored the moist heat of Kaiba’s mouth, Jou allowed his hands to trail up the side of the brunet’s body, blindly fumbling with the buttons of his silk dress shirt. Sliding his fingers underneath the fabric, Jou ran his hands along the smooth, taut flesh of Kaiba’s chest and abdomen, playfully tweaking the tiny nipples to hardness. He broke the kiss, eliciting a small hiss of pleasure from the brunet. Smirking playfully, Jou then planted a series of small kisses along Kaiba’s jawbone leading up to his ear. Arriving at his destination, he licked languorously along the shell, following the natural curve down to the lobe. Nipping playfully, he simultaneously dragged his fingernails across Kaiba’s torso from back to front, chuckling sensually when the brunet arched his back off the settee with a pleasured groan. He then kissed his way down Kaiba’s throat and along his collarbone to bite down on the supple skin, bruising the tender flesh. Again Jou’s actions wrested a wanton growl from the other teen and, before he could react, Kaiba’s hands had wended their way around Jou’s waist and under his shirt to draw him down forcibly against the brunet’s hips.

This time it was Jou’s turn to moan lasciviously as he felt the hardness of Kaiba’s erection skim against his inner thigh. The brunet shifted his position slightly and, keeping a hand firmly against Jou’s back for support, he used the other to pull off the blond’s t-shirt and lay him down on the cushions, holding his body sensuously against him. Kaiba gently nudged Jou’s legs open a little wider with his knee which allowed their arousals to brush once more, sending tiny shivers of pleasure up the brunet’s spine. Through a lust-induced haze, he gazed appreciatively at the blond’s pink-tinged cheeks and full, swollen lips which were slightly parted, allowing his breath to come out in soft, ragged pants. As the corners of his mouth turned up in a soft smile, Kaiba allowed himself to trace his fingers along Jou’s cheekbones and around his jaw, finally coming up to brush the golden fringe of bangs out of the blond’s eyes. He stared into the two pools of smouldering amber, seeing his own carnal desires mirrored in them. Kaiba opened his mouth to speak, but was immediately silenced by two fingertips being pressed against his lips. He saw Jounouchi give him a small shake of his head, and then the blond reached up to entangle his fingers in the chestnut locks, pulling Kaiba down for another hungry kiss.

When the need for oxygen forced them apart Kaiba felt his cock pulsing heatedly with desire, realizing that he was getting dangerously close to coming in his pants. Slowly, he trailed his fingers down Jou’s chest and across the sculpted abs, hooking his fingers teasingly in the waistband of the blond’s jeans. Seeing no sign of protest from the puppy, he skilfully thumbed open the button and slowly lowered the zipper. As Kaiba slipped his hand underneath Jou’s boxers to expertly palm the hardness within, he could feel the heat of the blond’s cock throbbing against his fingers, fuelling his passion. He wrapped his hand around the shaft and pulled the turgid flesh from its confines, moaning appreciatively as he noted its length and thickness. He inhaled deeply and, as the blond’s scent drove him into a near-frenzy, Kaiba gave a small shudder. Involuntarily thrusting forcibly against the pliant body beneath him, he wrenched a lustful cry from Jounouchi’s throat that nearly sent him over the edge. Panting softly, Kaiba quickly divested the blond of his remaining clothing then reluctantly pulled himself off of Jou. Eyeing the naked form before him with a carnal stare, he stumbled to his office ensuite as best he could given his present condition.

Kaiba returned a moment later, a large bottle of hand lotion in tow. He smirked inwardly as the irony of the blond’s statement from one day previous hit him, then quickly pushed the thought out of his mind as he stepped out of his own attire and rejoined the other teen. Slowly, he drew one of Jou’s legs up and placed it gently on the back of the settee, the other he placed carefully on the floor. Having a now-unobstructed view of Jou’s ass, Kaiba pumped a generous amount of lotion onto his hand and, with slicked fingers he delicately traced around Jou’s entrance. As he spiralled his finger closer and closer to the ring, he glanced up at the blond for any sign of discomfort or disapproval. Gently, he probed at the opening, his finger easily sliding in up to the knuckle. As he gently explored Jou’s passage, he managed to work in a second finger. He made small scissoring motions to carefully stretch the blond, using his free hand to tenderly massage Jou’s sac. When Kaiba inserted the third finger, he heard a small grunt of discomfort from the blond and felt him tense slightly. The brunet moved as if to withdraw his hand completely, and was surprised when he felt Jou’s hand latch onto his wrist, encouraging him to continue with his ministrations. Within a moment, Jou had again relaxed and was mewling softly at Kaiba’s touch. Kaiba moved his hand up and began stoking Jou’s cock, his own excitement rising as he watched the pleasure building within the writhing body beneath him. He felt the blond’s body tense and, knowing that Jou was reaching his climax, he sped up his rhythm, matching the thrusting of his fingers with the stroking motions of his hand. Suddenly, Jou reached down and forcibly grabbed both of Kaiba’s wrists, halting his movements. 

The brunet blinked in confusion at Jou. “What –“

Again, Jou leaned forward and silenced Kaiba with a kiss. The brunet moaned softly when Jou boldly reached out and gave Kaiba’s shaft a couple of firm strokes. As the brunet arched his head back with a hiss of pleasure, Jou took advantage of Kaiba’s momentary distraction. Filling his hand with lotion, he coated Kaiba’s shaft with the thick cream and gently but firmly pushed the taller teen into an upright sitting position. Climbing once more onto the brunet’s lap, he impaled himself to the hilt. There was a simultaneous cry of pleasure from both teens as Kaiba felt the warm heat surrounding his member and Jou felt his prostate assaulted by the brunet’s cock.

Slowly Jou began sliding himself up and down the entire length of Kaiba’s shaft, bringing himself nearly all the way out before slamming back down. With every stroke Jou would let out a small cry of pleasure as his vision went white, bringing Kaiba that much closer to his own release. As Jou felt himself nearing his climax, he began to pick up his rhythm, placing his hands against the brunet’s shoulders and using them for leverage. He felt Kaiba’s sac tighten beneath him and he clenched his own muscles tightly.

On the next stroke, Kaiba let out a carnal growl as he emptied himself deep within his puppy. Fisting his hands in Jou’s flaxen tresses, he roughly kissed the smaller teen, swallowing the blond’s primal cry when he reached his own orgasm. He felt Jou’s warm essence splash against his stomach and holding Jou tightly against him, Kaiba waited while the blond’s body was wracked with the spasms of his release. After a few moments, Jou pulled away from the kiss and stared deeply into Kaiba’s eyes.

With a contented sigh, he smiled softly at the brunet and whispered hoarsely, “Damn; if I’d have known this was what it would be like, I’d have used that argument first.”

Kaiba smirked at him and replied, “If you would have used that argument first, we would be in my bedroom right now and I’d be seriously contemplating never letting you go.” He gave the blond another soft kiss, and then glanced down at the sticky mess adhering their bodies together. “Hmm, if we don’t get this cleaned up, I may not be _able_ to let you go, ne?” he quipped as he winked playfully at Jou. He gently pushed the blond to his feet, allowing his now soft penis to slide out of Jou’s ass. “Come on puppy,” he said gently as he led them both to the bathroom. Carefully, he sponged the remains of their passion off their bodies with a cloth and warm water. Once they had redressed, he looked thoughtfully at the blond and asked seriously, “So what happens now?”

Jou snaked his arms around Kaiba’s waist, drawing him into a warm embrace. He glanced at the clock on the brunet’s desk and with a sultry smirk he purred, “Well, it _is_ almost 9:00 and according to our contract, you own me for the next 24 hours. If I remember right, Mokuba _is_ out of town for the weekend; I’m sure between the two of us, we can find something to do with that time…”

Kaiba smiled softly as he gently ran his fingers through the silky blond hair. “I’m sure we can, puppy,” he agreed as he took Jou’s hand in his and walked them down to his car. Once they were en route to his home, Kaiba glanced in his rear-view mirror at the sleeping form curled up on the seat next to him. He found the blond hopelessly addictive and knew that 24 hours was nowhere near enough time to get his craving for Jou out of his system. Hell, Kaiba doubted if he ever would. The brunet allowed himself a soft chuckle when Jou leaned into his hand as he tenderly stroked the blond’s cheek, thinking that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all to have a puppy around the house.


End file.
